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Summary: Genomic researchers increasingly utilize commercial cloud service providers (CSPs) to manage data and analytics needs. CSPs allow researchers to grow Information Technology (IT) infrastructure on demand to overcome bottlenecks when combining large datasets. However, without adequate security controls, the risk of unauthorized access may be higher for data stored on the cloud. Additionally, regulators are mandating data access patterns and specific security protocols for the storage and use of genomic data. While CSP provides tools for security and regulatory compliance, building the necessary controls required for cloud solutions is not trivial. Research Assets Provisioning and Tracking Online Repository (RAPTOR) by the Genome Institute of Singapore is a cloud-native genomics data repository and analytics platform that implements a “five-safes” framework to provide security and governance controls to data contributors and users, leveraging CSP for sharing and analysis of genomic datasets without the risk of security breaches or running afoul of regulations.

Introduction: Intolerance frequently limits the use of intragastric balloons (IGBs) in the treatment of obesity. This includes refractory nausea, vomiting and abdominal discomfort. Our study aims to identify predictors of balloon intolerance and early removal, which will help to guide patient selection for this intervention and peri-procedure care. Method: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 54 consecutive patients who underwent IGB insertion from July 2017 to July 2022 in a single tertiary institution in Singapore. Forty-seven (87.0%) patients completed therapy, while 7 patients (13.0%) had early removal of the balloon due to intolerance. Characteristics of both groups were compared. Results: Multivariate analysis revealed significant associations between early balloon removal and both depression (P=0.012) and anxiety (P=0.001) after adjusting for age, sex, ethnicity, height, nulliparity, balloon type and volume. Univariate analysis revealed that anxiety was the main risk factor (P=0.004, odds ratio 9.111, 95% confidence interval 1.624-51.124), while depression was no longer a significant predictor. Conclusion: Identifying predictors of balloon intolerance and early removal can enhance patient selection and improve peri-procedural care. In patients with a history of depression or anxiety, it is important to ensure adequate counselling and preparation prior to balloon insertion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background and Aim Endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG) is an alternative nonsurgical treatment option for obesity. However, most studies on the utility and efficacy of ESG are derived from the Western population. It is unknown if ESG elicits similar results in Asians with different fat distribution, sociocultural customs, and dietary practices. Our study aims to assess the safety and efficacy of ESG among a multi‐ethnic Asian population. Methods We reviewed 35 patient records who underwent primary ESG for obesity at our unit. We followed a U‐shaped suture pattern. Our primary outcome was to assess technical feasibility and safety. The secondary outcome was to determine the percentage total body weight loss (TBWL) at the last follow‐up. Results The mean ± SD age and body mass index were 43.6 ± 11.3 years and 34 ± 4.9 kg/m2, respectively. The majority were female (57%) and of Chinese ethnicity (51%). The procedure was technically successful in all patients. We used an average of five sutures (range, 4–7), and the mean ± SD procedure time was 65 ± 10 min. No major complications occurred, and the average length of stay was 1 day. Twenty‐one patients completed 3 months of follow‐up, and 10 patients 6 months. The mean ± SD TBWL at 3 and 6 months were 14.5 ± 4.8% and 16.2 ± 4.9%, respectively. We observed improvement in diabetes mellitus (87%), fatty liver (86%), and hypertension (58%) during the follow‐up. Conclusion ESG is a safe and effective option for promoting weight loss in a multi‐ethnic Asian population. ESG‐induced weight loss may improve obesity‐related comorbidities.

Purpose: To compare the postoperative survival and mortality rates in intertrochanteric femoral fracture (IFF) patients who underwent either open reduction internal fixation (ORIF) or hip arthroplasty. Methods: Clinical data from senior patients who had IFF and underwent ORIF or hip arthroplasty were analyzed retrospectively. Survival curves were compared between groups with Kaplan–Meier method and log-rank test. Significant independent prognostic factors were identified by Cox multivariate regression analysis. Results: All patients recovered fully post-surgery. Although 31 patients died during the follow-up period (ORIF, mean 45.4 months; arthroplasty, mean 51.6 months), mortality rate did not differ significantly between the groups. The 1-yr and 2-yr survival rate estimates for the ORIF group were 92.2%, and 86%, respectively; they were 85% and 74% for the arthroplasty group. Average survival lengths for ORIF and arthroplasty groups were 88 and 67 months, respectively. The effect of surgical approaches on survival differed significantly (log-rank test c2 = 6.402, p = 0.011). Multivariate Cox regression model indicated that surgical choice (p = 0.036) was a significant independent risk factor for the prognosis of senile IFF, even with adjustment for age (p = 0.002). Conclusion: The overall postoperative prognosis was superior in senile IFF patients treated with ORIF.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental illness that affected numerous people. The anti-PTSD-like effects of puerarin is unknown, although the antidepressant- and anxiolytic- like effects of puerarin have been reported. The PTSD behavioral deficits in rats were induced by single prolonged stress (SPS), mainly including the reduced time/entries in the open arms and the elevated time/entries in the closed arms in elevated plus maze test, increased freezing duration in contextual fear paradigm and lowered time/entries in the central zone in open field test. However, the behavioral deficits were attenuated by puerarin (50 and 100 mg/kg) without affecting the locomotor activity. For the evaluation of mechanism, the decreased levels of progesterone, allopregnanolone, and the increased levels of corticosterone, corticotropin releasing hormone, and adrenocorticotropic hormone in the brain or serum were induced by SPS, which is blocked by puerarin. In summary, the anti-PTSD-like effects of puerarin were associated with biosynthesis of neurosteroids and normalized levels of stress hormones in HPA axis.

C40H44CuO4Fe2N6, triclinic, P1̄ (no. 2), a = 7.4758(4) Å, b = 7.7447(5) Å, c = 16.2929(10) Å, α = 87.111(2)°, β = 85.196(2)°, γ = 89.736(2)°, V = 938.82(10) Å3, Z = 1, Rgt(F) = 0.0672, wRref(F2) = 0.1316, T = 150(2) K.

Seamless positioning services are of a critical concern in building smart cities. In a multisource fusion indoor positioning system, providing the guidance information for the deployment of positioning sources is a key technology, which can optimize the infrastructure resources to provide higher positioning accuracy. The error models of single‐source positioning such as the received signal strength (RSS) fingerprint and the pedestrian dead reckoning (PDR) should be extended to meet the requirement of multisource indoor positioning for positioning error estimation. This paper proposes a model that combines the RSS fingerprint and PDR positioning error models for fusion positioning error simulation, which weights the PDR and RSS fingerprint positioning results and calculates the mean square error for the fusion positioning according to their positioning variances. This model is also used to establish an indoor positioning simulation system. To validate the proposed model, an experiment is performed which compared the actual positioning errors using the fusion positioning with the errors of the simulate model. The results show that the actual positioning error curves and the error curve predicted by the model are consistent. As a result, the proposed error model provides a solution for optimizing the deployment of positioning sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]